diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 82fa47f70..9b95317a8 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ go 1.23.7
 require (
 	github.com/containerd/containerd/v2 v2.0.4
 	github.com/containerd/platforms v1.0.0-rc.1
-	github.com/docker/model-distribution v0.0.0-20250710064845-ad2903dc93f7
+	github.com/docker/model-distribution v0.0.0-20250710123110-a633223e127e
 	github.com/google/go-containerregistry v0.20.3
 	github.com/jaypipes/ghw v0.16.0
 	github.com/mattn/go-shellwords v1.0.12
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index 7f1f35c0f..0aeec9e91 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -38,8 +38,8 @@ github.com/docker/distribution v2.8.3+incompatible h1:AtKxIZ36LoNK51+Z6RpzLpddBi
 github.com/docker/distribution v2.8.3+incompatible/go.mod h1:J2gT2udsDAN96Uj4KfcMRqY0/ypR+oyYUYmja8H+y+w=
 github.com/docker/docker-credential-helpers v0.8.2 h1:bX3YxiGzFP5sOXWc3bTPEXdEaZSeVMrFgOr3T+zrFAo=
 github.com/docker/docker-credential-helpers v0.8.2/go.mod h1:P3ci7E3lwkZg6XiHdRKft1KckHiO9a2rNtyFbZ/ry9M=
-github.com/docker/model-distribution v0.0.0-20250710064845-ad2903dc93f7 h1:Kkiv0E3LTbj2y3rPRIJtRf89Eahg372RxqvKV14zszo=
-github.com/docker/model-distribution v0.0.0-20250710064845-ad2903dc93f7/go.mod h1:dThpO9JoG5Px3i+rTluAeZcqLGw8C0qepuEL4gL2o/c=
+github.com/docker/model-distribution v0.0.0-20250710123110-a633223e127e h1:qBkjP4A20f3RXvtstitIPiStQ4p+bK8xcjosrXLBQZ0=
+github.com/docker/model-distribution v0.0.0-20250710123110-a633223e127e/go.mod h1:dThpO9JoG5Px3i+rTluAeZcqLGw8C0qepuEL4gL2o/c=
 github.com/felixge/httpsnoop v1.0.4 h1:NFTV2Zj1bL4mc9sqWACXbQFVBBg2W3GPvqp8/ESS2Wg=
 github.com/felixge/httpsnoop v1.0.4/go.mod h1:m8KPJKqk1gH5J9DgRY2ASl2lWCfGKXixSwevea8zH2U=
 github.com/go-logr/logr v1.2.2/go.mod h1:jdQByPbusPIv2/zmleS9BjJVeZ6kBagPoEUsqbVz/1A=
diff --git a/pkg/inference/models/manager.go b/pkg/inference/models/manager.go
index 5c176f309..1c083abc9 100644
--- a/pkg/inference/models/manager.go
+++ b/pkg/inference/models/manager.go
@@ -333,7 +333,8 @@ func (m *Manager) handleDeleteModel(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		}
 	}
 
-	if _, err := m.distributionClient.DeleteModel(r.PathValue("name"), force); err != nil {
+	resp, err := m.distributionClient.DeleteModel(r.PathValue("name"), force)
+	if err != nil {
 		if errors.Is(err, distribution.ErrModelNotFound) {
 			http.Error(w, err.Error(), http.StatusNotFound)
 			return
@@ -346,6 +347,11 @@ func (m *Manager) handleDeleteModel(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		http.Error(w, err.Error(), http.StatusInternalServerError)
 		return
 	}
+
+	w.Header().Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
+	if err := json.NewEncoder(w).Encode(resp); err != nil {
+		http.Error(w, fmt.Sprintf("error writing response: %v", err), http.StatusInternalServerError)
+	}
 }
 
 // handleOpenAIGetModels handles GET <inference-prefix>/<backend>/v1/models and